Judas In Bolivia
by KMart816
Summary: Season 2: Episode 6 El Camino de la Muerte; Teresa, James, & Guero are put through the ringer for a chance to move El Santo's product. Teresa & James POV For WimsicalElve
1. Chapter 1

**Judas in Bolivia**

Summary: Season 2: Episode 6 El Camino de la Muerte; Teresa, James, & Guero are put through the ringer for a chance to move El Santo's product. Teresa & James POV; For WimsicalElve

Disclaimer: No money is made from this. This is for entertainment only!

Author's Note One (1): No Beta. Reviews feed my soul!

 **Chapter 1: Choose (James POV)**

We are in a concert holding cell. El Santo told Teresa the deal is as good as done, but only if she gives someone up to the knife. "He wants one of us to die to get his drugs." I state. I'm the first to put our predicament into words.

Teresa is silently pacing, but I know she is coming up with a plan to save us all. I don't see how that is possible, but she's good at finding the light in the dark cave.

"He's insane." I scoff as Guero paces past me.

"Maybe he's just trying to turn us against each other." Guero tries to reason.

Fucking rat! Of course, that's what he thinks. Just because he turned at the drop of a hat doesn't mean that everyone else is that fickle with their loyalty.

It be easiest to turn over Guero. My job would be done and we will have paid El Santo in blood; but Teresa obviously cares about him, so she won't go that route. She could choose me, I've offered my life for hers several times in the past. She wouldn't choose me, because she hasn't in the past. She'll come up with a plan to save us all. I refuse to think about this anymore. My choice is Guero.

"We need a weapon." I say looking at the cell we are in.

"If you attack these people, they will slaughter us." Guero yells at me.

"Oh, yeah? Then what the hell is your plan?" I'm look at the gate that serves as a door; investigating it for any signs of potential for weapons "We're in this prison because of you." I turn back to point at Guero. "Don't you forget that." Goddamn prick!

He's angry enough he switches to Spanish. "Look here, James." Then switches back to English as he explains his theory to me. "No, no, no. We're here 'cause Epifanio outsmarted you, and now you're desperate."

"Desperate enough to give you to El Santo." I vocalize my plan, because I'm done listening to this jackass!

"Hey, I will gladly trade my life for hers." Guero fires back. "How about you?"

He's talking about loyalty again, like he even understands what that word means. He acts like he cares about her, but he left her to fend for herself when the feds came to ship him away to a safe house. "You're an idiot." I say shaking my head at him. "He's not gonna let any of us live."

"Stop it." Teresa breaks her silence.

"Yeah, how do you know that?" Guero questions me.

"He's toying with us." I tell him. It's obvious.

"You're a coward." He spits back at me.

"I'm a coward?" How am I the coward? I have lied to Camila Vargas' face, I have offered my life to save Teresa, and this prick has the nerve to call me a coward.

"Yeah." Then switches to Spanish to finish his insult. "Did Camilla take your balls or what, asshole?"

"You're a rat. Trading other people's lives for your own. You're the Judas." I snap back to his insult.

"Yeah, who's the one trying to steal another man's woman?" He hisses in response to my declaration.

Oh, that's what this is about. He thinks that's the issue at hand. First, Teresa isn't his anymore. Nor since he left her for government protection. Second, he might be right. Sadly. Never thought I say that. I definitely have a thing for her, but I'm not trying to date her. She has gained my respect every time she has saved me and not needed to and she has a strong will to live. It helps that she is easy on the eyes. Living with Camila, I get to see her in more than shirts and jeans. And damn that body is fine! "You fucking child." I scoff at his insinuation. "This is business." This situation we are in has nothing to do with my crush on Teresa. "But I guess if you were a real man, she wouldn't have to beg to keep you alive." I continue my verbal assault.

That's the ticket! Guero's fist connects with my face. He approaches me with intent to do more damage, but I grab around his neck with my forearm and slam him again the metal bars of the cell

Teresa comes over and attempts to pull my arm from Guero's throat. "Stop it. Stop it. This is exactly what he wants. Stop it!" She yells and finally I let him go, tossing him away from us.

Metal clanking open grabs our attention. Several men in white with batons enter the cell, while Teresa's 'protection' child asks "Who, Teresa? Who do you give to the knife?"

Teresa walks toward the door, before making her decision. "Me."

Fuck! That's her plan! I take back what I said about her will to live. I figured she came up with a plan to save us all, but instead she saves the rat and me.

I stand in shock at her decision, but Guero attempts to follow her. "Hey, Teresa! Hey! Hey, take me. Hey! Take me! Hey! Teresa!" He shouts as the guards hold him back. Teresa is long gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: No money is made from this. This is for entertainment only! All dialogue is from the episode.

Author's Note One (1): No Beta. Reviews feed my soul!

Author's Note Two (2): I am not as comfortable writing Teresa as I am James, but here it goes.

Author's Note Three (3): Guero/Teresa sort of.

 **Chapter 2: Guero (Teresa POV)**

I gasp awake and rub my eyes. What happened? The last thing I remember is El Santo wishing me a 'good death.'

Taking a look around, we are in a truck on a bumpy Bolivian road. Guero is to my left driving, and James is on my right. How did we all make it out? Am I dead? Was the deal successful?

I stay quiet trying to process what is going on?

"We gotta let Camila know we got the product from El Santo." James breaks the silence.

So, the deal is done.

"A metric ton." He continues.

He isn't happy I agreed to that amount of product, but we needed this deal. If a metric ton is what it takes then so be it.

James keeps playing with his gun, keeping it ready, he knows something is off. "There's still no signal." He says after checking his cell. "We need to get ahold of King George. He could have already gone by now." This is the most straightforward he has been about his plans since we met. "How long till Chile?" This statement is specifically to Guero.

"To George's border crossing, it's about it's about four and a half hours." Guero replies before making a left onto a new road.

James doesn't respond to that statement, but I know he's worried.

Getting caught or missing George are both things we need to worry about, but I'm more concerned about Guero. Chances of him living past the end of this mission are slim and I don't know if I can survive his death again.

"El Camino de la Muerte. The most dangerous road in Bolivia." Guero tells us.

I look over at him as he speaks and notice a small shelter on the side of the road with a shrine inside. Something about it cramps my stomach. My instincts are telling me to run.

"Shit." James confirms my suspicions.

I look ahead and see a truck stopped on a cutout.

"We gotta turn this thing around. Right now." Guero is panicking, taking the truck as a warning.

"No." James says in response.

I can barely hear. My heart is pounding. My fears are coming to life. I need to come up with a plan. One that is as bloodless as possible.

"They've already seen us. We need to take their soldiers out." James shares his idea on how to survive.

"Pull up to the roadblock. Pull up, I mean it." I command them with confidence I don't feel.

Guero pulls up and stops the truck where I told him to. It'll be a short walk to the soldiers, but that what I want.

Guero and James open their doors and I get out following Guero.

"Just stay here." I tell Guero as I approach the men. "Hola." I greet them with a little wave. I bid them good afternoon and continuing in Spanish I ask "Are we not allowed to pass?"

The one standing straight tells me "It's prohibited."

"Really?" I act surprised, before continuing "It's just that… we're transporting food to… the alpaca farm where my cousin works." I look back to the truck over my shoulder. "There he is." I point to James, who gives a little wave. "Kind of a dumbass. Slacker." I chuckle at my own joke. Got to sell the story. I see the other soldier leaning on the truck with a cigarette in his hand. "Can I have one please?" I ask him before turning back to the first soldier "And we're already running late so…" I pause to thank the soldier with the cigarettes, before acknowledging the first soldier again. "Can we pass?" I ask him as I lean in to get a light.

The radio crackles to life before a female voice come over it. "Bring the Mexicana and the two machos to me."

I know that voice. It's La Capitana. I lift my eyes from the cigarette to the soldier I was brokering a pass with. He looks to me and I bolt back to the truck.

"Go! It's La Capitana!" I shout.

The soldiers shout for me to "stop," before I hear their weapons fire.

James pulls his weapon and begins shooting over the top of his open door.

Guero leaves the safety of his side of the truck to come to my rescue. "Go, Guero, go!" I shout trying to get him to move back to the truck. The sound of gunfire hasn't stopped since it started and I see Guero's body pause mid step before he loses his step. He begins to fall back. I catch him and ease him the rest of the way to the muddy ground.

James has run toward the soldiers making sure they are dead as I hold a bleeding dying Guero in my arms.

"No, no No." I'm crying. My hands won't stay still. One second they are touching his face the next they are trying to put pressure on the bullet wound spilling bright red onto his grey shirt. His eyes are wide and staring at me, but there is no life in them anymore.

I look to James for assistance. He stares open mouth at the sad scene the two of us make.

He manages to pull my arms off of Guero, after reminding me that La Capitana is likely on her way to this spot. I stand but I don't move. My eyes glued to Guero dead body.

James just picks up Guero without a word to me and places him in the back of the truck. He guides me into the truck and we continue the drive to the border.

I am rarely quiet, but I don't know what to say. James hates when I ask questions, but I think he hates it even more when I silently stare out the window like I'm doing now.

"We'll take him back with us." James tell me after a few moments of silence.

"He said, 'Turn around.' Why didn't I let him?" I say. The words don't sound as angry as I expected. Instead I sound haunted.

"When I was in Afghanistan, some of the guys used to say there's a different god for soldiers, one that judges hearts instead of deeds. He loved you." James tells me.

I know that. Guero made sure I knew to leave the house, and he did come back for me. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't love me. My heart hurts, but not like it did the last time. Maybe it is because, I didn't see it coming last time or maybe I don't love him like I used to.

I remain silent contemplating those thoughts.

"There's still a couple of hours before we get there. You should try and get some sleep."James says.

I close my eyes and attempt to follow his command, but right now it seems hopeless.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No money is made from this. This is for entertainment only! All dialogue is directly from the episode

Author's Note One (1): No Beta. Reviews feed my soul!

Author's Note Two (2): I am not as comfortable writing Teresa as I am James, but here it goes.

 **Chapter 3: James (Teresa POV)**

I snap awake from my dream or I guess it was a nightmare. Guero dying is a fear that I don't want to come to fruition. I can't lose Guero so soon after getting him back. It takes me a moment before I realize I am back in the truck. I whip my head trying to figure out what is going on. Guero is on my left driving and James is to my right. This feels familiar.

"Got a metric ton back there." James breaks the silence of the cab. "There's still no signal. We need to get ahold of King George. He could have already gone by now."

When he starts talking about George, I get a feeling of déjà vu. Maybe it wasn't a nightmare. Maybe it was a vision? What did that beetle do to me?

"How long till Chile?" James continues, not realizing how uncomfortable I have become.

"To George's border crossing, it's about, uh…" Guero starts his answer.

I know this. "Four and a half hours." I say at the same time as Guero.

Oh shit. It was a vision. What am I supposed to do with the knowledge it gave me?

Guero makes the left on the Death Road.

"El Camino de la Muerte. The most dangerous road in Bolivia." He informs us.

It's happening just like my vision. We pass by the shelter housing the statue. How do I stop this?

"It's all right. We got this." James tells me.

I turn to look at him and he is staring at me. Does he see my concern, my fear? Why does he care?

I see the truck at the bottom of the hill. "Turn around." I swat at Guero's arm.

"We can probably just drive…" He says in response. Why isn't he listening to me. James would listen.

"Turn the truck around now!" I yell at Guero.

"We can't outrun…" How is Guero so calm?

James has tensed up. He knows something is wrong. At least someone is listening to me.

"Turn around, Guero!" I shout one more time trying to get him to listen. I'm desperate and I'm panicking.

"We can't outrun them, not in this thing." He shouts back.

The brakes squeal us to a halt.

The soldiers are shouting at us, but I can't make out what they are saying over the idling engine.

"They're La Capitana's men. They're waiting for us." I say knowingly to the boys.

One stays at their truck, while the other approaches us.

James convinces us to escape through the back window into the bed of the truck before hoping out and making our way into the bush.

From our position, we hear the soldier tell the other we aren't there and that we probably ran into the jungle. "Notify Command!" He continues his orders to the other guard.

The first goes into the forest attempting to chase us.

James stands up from beside me in our hiding spot with his gun drawn and heads back to the road.

What is he doing? Then I see Guero grab one guard by the throat in a chokehold. The other appears right in front of James. James fires off a couple of shots, but none hit.

The guard takes off and James follows. "We can't let him go! He's gonna call for reinforcements!" He says as an explanation.

I pop up from my spot taking off after James. "No, no." I run in the direction, I last saw James, while Guero shots my name.

I pull the gun from my waistband and I enter the jungle. I feel woozy and I'm panting. "There was something in that beetle." I say to myself. I sound like I'm echoing, but that's not possible.

I see someone in El Santo's mask, as the rest of the world around me becomes blurry. The view changes to La Capitana telling me "It's done." Now, the Queen walks past me in the direction I need to go telling me go quietly.

The next moment I feel someone touching me. I point my weapon. "Ah, ah!" I say as the body passes by me and moves so I can see them.

"Teresa, it's me! It's me." I recognize the voice before his face. It's James. His hand is blocking the barrel of my gun.

He manages to get me to lower my gun. I am confused. How is James here? I am move closer to him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"El Santo." I tell him, turning and searching the jungle.

"It's okay. I took care of it." He says grabbing my arm. He pulls me around so I face him once more. "You're safe." He whispers. His arm snakes up from my arm to behind my neck. "You're safe." He repeats looking into my eyes.

What is happening?

I move closer and his left hand brushes at my hair before he pulls me into an awkward hug.

I grip onto his back for dear life, letting out my emotions in the form of sobs. I enjoy his comforting embrace even as his beard scraps my face.

We pull apart, but his hands stay on my face. My gaze is focused on the muddy ground. "It's all right." He says simply.

Gently, my face is brought up and my eyes are now on James' lips.

My heart beat that was starting to calm is thumping faster again as his thumb rubs my jaw, like it did when he was talking with Kim that day at his townhouse. What is he doing?

He leans forward and captures my lips in a sweet modest kiss.

A simple kiss, but I have butterflies now. I don't get a chance to respond as I hear two cracks from a gun. James' torso come forward, I assume to shield me as he always does, but then I see the look of pain on his face.

My gaze travels downward and I see blood falling from his neck. I ease him down on the jungle floor with my hand on his neck, shouting his name as I do so. No, no, no. This can't be happening.

Once I fall into some semblance of a sitting position, I look up to find the source of the gunfire.

Guero is approaching us, slowly. Why isn't he moving faster?

"What did you do?" I ask him.

"It was either him or me." He shrugs before walking away from us.

James is still struggling to breath. His hand is at his throat after mine pulled away in surprise at the callousness I heard in Guero's explanation.

My heart sinks as I realize a lot of things in that short conversation.

One, Guero is the Judas that El Santo warned me about. How did James' put it: 'Trading other people's lives for your own.' Guero will do anything to stay alive, whereas James has risked his life for me countless times. James cares more about me than the man I think I love. And that kiss! Why is that the first kiss and now sadly the last kiss we shared?

"Choose." The Queen tells me.

I think I already have and just didn't realize it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No money is made from this. This is for entertainment only! All dialogue is directly from the episode.

Author's Note One (1): No Beta. Reviews feed my soul!

Author's Note Two (2): Longest and final chapter.

 **Chapter 4: Reality (James POV)**

The little girls lead us into the chapel. Teresa lays unmoving on the cold stone floor. From our distance, I'm not even sure she is breathing. Just when I feel my heart start to race with worry, she lets out a loud gasp. She sits up panting trying to reclaim her breath.

The rat rushes forward, skidding to his knees beside her. "Hey-hey, hey. You're all right. You're back." He comforts her with a tight hug.

She pulls back first and asks a question that surprises me. "Where's James?"

"I'm here." I tell her as I slowly approach her, managing to keep the surprise from my voice.

What the fuck happened when we were stuck in that cell?

Our eyes lock, no words are spoken, but she seems to relax in my presence.

The moment is broken to a slow clap behind her. "Bueno Muerte. You had to die to be reborn into my family." El Santo tells her.

Wait! She died?

"The beetle was poison." She says confidently without missing a beat.

Beetle? What beetle? What the hell have we gotten involved with?

"Not for the pure of heart." He replies as he pulls the pendant from his neck. "Now you are one of us." He approaches her and places it around her delicate throat.

I can't help but tense slightly at his actions.

"It is time for you to create yourself, Teresa Mendoza. I shall expect the first payment for the metric ton within the week. Go with God. My enemy, La Capitana, watches the Death Road." He states barely pausing between thoughts. Walking towards the entrance to the chapel, he continues. "Be careful, mi'ja." He wags his finger in my face as he passes me. "And there is still a Judas among you."

El Santo exits quietly and Teresa relaxes even more right into the shoulder of that rat; pulling him closer, she is touching him everywhere!

I can't deal with this. I exit in hopes of finding our stuff and getting the hell out of dodge, a.k.a. Bolivia. Easier to find than I expected, but better than I hoped. The little girls are waiting with all of our belongings. It is unsettling watching girls in little blue dresses handle our weapons with ease.

~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~ ~ TJ~ TJ~

Hopping in the freshly loaded truck, I can't help but glare at the rat. I sigh before retrieving my cell phone and dialing George's number.

After he answers, I let him know we got the product and that we'll be at the border in a few hours.

"Sorry, Giant Peach. That ship has sailed. Have to catch you on the next one." George replies with that annoying voice of his.

"Look, we got held up. We're on our way to your cross point now." I plead with him to wait for us. We have a metric ton of blow and without George we have no way to exit this Godforsaken country.

"See, that ain't my problem, Kemosabe. I gave you a deadline. You shat the bed." He's pissing me off!

"No, you need to wait for us." I hiss back at this arrogant douche.

"Give it to me." Teresa commands ripping the phone from my hand before acknowledging the King "George? It's Teresa."

"You don't know what we've got." She replies to however he phrased his refusal this time.

After a pause, Teresa yells. "We've got a metric ton of Bolivian flake. And that's just the start."

"A week." She replies. He must have asked for our payment deadline.

She has been maintaining her composure during this call, but George's mouth is getting to her. Her hand rubs her eyes as he continues to run his trap.

"Please, you're the only one who can help me." She has switched to begging. Not a good look for her, but if it works who gives a shit!

"Okay." She sighs.

She's giving up? She never gives up!

"George, thank you." She continues.

Oh! He agreed! Thank Jesus!

We now just need to focus on making it to the border. Teresa tells us we have 'til sun down.

"El Camino de la Muerte. The most dangerous road in Bolivia." Guero breaks his silence after we turn left onto a new road. 'The Death Road.' The one El Santo warned us about.

Bouncing over pot holes, I turn to Teresa, who has tensed up.

"Careful around this bend." She says after we pass a shrine on the side of the road.

"Why?" I ask.

I know El Santo warned us about this road, but something is off. This isn't just heeding the words of a crazy cult leader. This is an uncomfortable feeling in the gut.

She turns her face forward again and tells me, "Nothing. Never mind."

A little further and fruit crates and baskets litter the side of the road, while a covered truck blocks our path.

"Andele, cabrones." Is hissed from the driver's seat, once we are stopped.

"Where are you going?" Teresa asks after Guero turns off the truck and open his door to exit.

"I gotta take a leak."

I roll my eyes as I light a cigarette and hop out to survey the damage.

"We'll find a way to make the shipment work." Teresa tells me as I step closer to her.

"This isn't a one-off. El Santo expects weekly payments. And to make those payments, we're gonna have to move three times what we have been. Your boyfriend screwed us by coming down here." I tell her simply.

"We didn't have a choice." She snaps back to my cynicism.

"We could have thought of something else in those three days. One that doesn't end up with us dead." Despite my actions recently, I don't want to die yet and definitely not to El Santo's sicarios.

Great the rat is back! "Wouldn't have made a difference. You had to make a big move. All your suppliers were burned. All right, somebody would have tried to move in on your territory." He informs me.

"None of that has anything to do with you." I snap back.

"You put her in the middle of this." He accuses as he points to his little girlfriend.

"Stop it." Teresa says halfheartedly, her attention no longer focused on our conversation.

"Camila's backed into a corner. She's paranoid. She's out there just swinging in the dark. I mean, how long you think it's gonna be till it's Teresa who's not supposed to come back from a mission?"

I try to act nonchalant, but that is my biggest fear. Sadly, his words also bring Teresa's attention back to us.

"Huh?" He pauses waiting for a response.

I refused to acknowledge his accusations.

"You gonna take her out if Camila tells you to, James?" He continues to berate me with questions that I don't know the answer to because I'm afraid to ask them to myself.

"Stop it." She commands him.

"No, no, no, hold up, babe. I want to hear what his answer is."

I take a drag from the cig and pick at my nails.

"You have no idea what loyalty is." I tell him. It's cryptic enough to anger him, but also hides my real decision behind ambiguity. Because if I do think about it, I'm afraid the answer is 'no,' and that's a dangerous response.

"Sounds like a yes to me."

Let him think what he wants. I have risked a lot for Teresa. In reality, it is more than I have done for Camila!

"This is ridiculous. We're still alive after all that happened to us, okay? We have the product. We have the transpo. I'm tired of your bullshit." Teresa says trying to getting us to see that this mission is a success. She is tired of our continuous cockfighting, and I can't blame her.

We take a few moments to recover from our latest fight, when I notice that one of the locals cleaning up the fruit has turned away from us. When he turns back, I caught sight of a walkie. "That guy has a radio. Looks like you led us into another ambush." I tell the rat simply, before I turn to face the locals pulling my gun from my waistband, but keeping it behind my back.

"Shit, he's a lookout."

No duh!

"Where's Teresa?" Guero says panicking.

Wait! What? Where did she go? She was just here!

Guero takes off towards the jungle. A weapon discharges and Guero shouts for Teresa.

A soldier appears and the fire fight begins. We manage to catch shelter some ways into the jungle. We stand against a tree assessing our safety. I realize we are safe rather quickly, but Guero is still unsure. I see this as my chance to complete my mission.

I aim my weapon at the back of his head. "You're gonna get her killed."

He turns to face me.

"She doesn't know who you really are, but I do." Rats aren't to be trusted. "You don't deserve her." He will drag her down to his level and that sharp-tongued beauty will be destroyed by this asshole!

"Do you?" He asks me.

My grip falters for a second, but I quickly regain control. That's not what is up for debate right now. "I've been around people like you my whole life. Selfish. No loyalty."

A rifle crack puts an end to my speech. I feel the slug snap into my shoulder and I drop to the jungle floor. Shit, that hurts! My hand grasps at the wound. The rat took off at the sound of the gunshot. Damn Coward!

I survey my surrounds and see the soldier right in front of me, rifle pointed at my head. Guess this is the end. Two gun shots confirm my suspicion… or not! I must not be dead, seeing as my shoulder still burns and Guero approaches me clearing the area.

"You saved me." I say in awe as he returns to my side.

He turns from the now dead soldier and glares at me.

"Why?" I ask as I attempt to sit up, groaning as I do so.

"You kept her alive when I couldn't."

No! "She kept herself alive." I tell him truthfully. There are several times she should have died, but apparently she is part cat.

"Hey, I'm not saying I'm not gonna kill you." He tells me as I stand. "I just... I ain't gonna kill you right now."

I smile at his truthfulness.

Rapid gunfire has us ducking and running toward the source. Several moments go by without words or gunfire. I'm starting to worry, but then I hear her voice!

"Guero! James!" Teresa yells. We find her standing on the road surrounded by baskets of fruit and a dead soldier, wet, muddy, and covered in blood.

No obvious injuries from a quick glance. What happened in that jungle? She doesn't say another word. She barely even looks at us as she turns and heads to the truck.

We sit in the truck cab nursing our wounds. I wish I could say or do something to help Teresa, but she won't tell me what happened. Plus, she won't allow that closeness when Guero is here.

By the way, how is it the only one of us that escaped unharmed is the rat, the Judas?

The silence ensues for the rest of the trip to the border.


End file.
